Where do you do your best work?

When I first stepped into my new favorite cafe, I was surprised by all the tall tables that filled the space. They had stools, of course, that matched the rustic yet clean feeling of the rest of the cafe. What I realized, however, was that I could stand while I worked.

Yes, standing desks aren’t new but I never had one and it was exciting to give it a try at this cafe. My posture isn’t the best and I’ve started developing some lower back pain that makes me feel three times my actual age. Standing at while you worked seemed like a perfect way to stay active while still getting my work done (and craning my neck less!).

Over the years, I’ve found that I have some particular requirements for a space in order to be able to work there long term. Cafes have always been a fun place to get my creative work done, but they’ve always been too noisy and far for me to go everyday, let alone the cost of a London fog. In college, where every building has its own library of some sort, I’ve chosen to do the majority of my work in my tiny dorm room.

We all have our spaces that we feel the best in, where our brains function how we want and our ideas flow unobstructed.

I’ve always been fond of my own space, where distractions were rare and I could sit, stand, or lay however I wanted. Everything I could ever need was right at my desk so I had little excuse to not do an assignment.

One of my school friends is the opposite. He can’t ever get work done in his room because he shares it with a roommate. Plus, having a bed so close to his workspace meant impromptu naps turned into hours of sleep. His preferred workspace is the library or a busy cafe when he has the time. When he stepped into the library, the image of people working and the sounds of keyboards clicking set his mind into a productive state where he could focus and get things done.

We all have our spaces that we feel the best in, where our brains function how we want and our ideas flow unobstructed. It takes time to figure it out, but you can often make those realizations when looking back to the past.

Where do you get your best work done? Do you like to return to your favorites or try new places?